Apparatus for use in surfacing sheet material



May 5, 1931. F. MERIAN APPARATUS FOR USE IN SURFACING SHEET MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Shet Filed March 10, 1924 ww mm a H mm INVENTOR May 5, 1931.

F. MERIAN l 1,803,434

APPARATUS FOR USE IN SURFACING SHEETJVIEMLERIAL Filed March 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR in Figure 1f;

Patented 7 May 5, 1931 UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE FREDERIC MERIAN, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR, BY ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 PILKINGT'ON BROTHERS LIMITED, OF LANCASHIRE, ENG-LAND, A COM- PANY OF GREAT BRITAIN APPARATUS FOR use In sorter-lame sHEEr Mariam Application filed March 10, 1924. Serial No. 698,148.

The present invention relates broadly to the surfacing of sheet material, and more particularly to the surfacing of sheet glass sup-" ported on a connected row of rectangular tables moving on a track under the surfacing machines.

The invention resides primarily in a novel construction of tables and coupling means therefor, whereby when a plurality of tables are coupled together and moved under the surfacing machines there will be no relative vertical movement between adjoining table ends due to irregularities in the top surfaces of the rails, or to sand, dirt or other material getting between the Wheels of the tables and the rails.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a plan view, partly broken away,- illustrating a series of connected tables embodying my invention running on a track 7 7 and 9 may be provided by milled bearingv blocks of hard steel fastened to the lugs 6 under grinding and polishing machines;

Figure 2 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the apparatus shown Figure 3 is a fragmentary planview of the connected end portions of two adjacent ta bles' i V Figurest and 5 are views illustrating the manner in which two tables are brought together and coupled; and

Figures 6 and 7 are, respectively, a plan View and a side elevation of one form of driving' mechanism forthe connected tables.

' Figures 1 and 2 show a series of connectedv tables 2 running on rails 3 beneath grinders 4 and polishers 5, which maybe of the usual construction employed in the art. The rails should be carefully milled and leveled in orrelationship;

at one end of the'tab'le having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the wheels employed at the other end of the table or by employing wheels of the same diameter at each end of the table, the wheels being arranged, however, sothat the distance between thelowest tread point of the wheels at one end of the table and the surface of the table is slightly less than the distance between the lowest tread point of the wheels at the other end of the table and the surface of the table.

Referring to Figures 4; and 5, each table has a lug 6 projecting from one end thereof, 7

preferably the rear end, which has an'upperfinishedsurface 7 parallel to the surface of the table but below the same. The other end ofeach table has a lug 8 projecting therefrom which has a lower finished surface 9 parallel to the upper surface of the table and at the same distance below the same as the finished surface 7 of the lug 6. The surfaces and 8 in any suitable manner. The lugs 6 and ,8 are so arranged that the surface 9 of the lug 8 at the front end of one table can be laid on the surface 7 of the lug 6 at the rear end of another tableby' slightly raising the front end of the 'first'table and then pushingthe tables together until the adj acent ends of their laying surfaces are in abutting In order to raise the forward end of one table for placing the bearingsurfa-ce 9 of its lug 8 upon the bearing surface 7 of the lug 6 atthe rear end of another table, the rails 3 inayeach be provided at a suitable point with arise v10 (Figures 2, 3 and 4). Thenf'in coupling two tables together, one table may-be pushed along thetrack until its rear wheels have passed over the rise 10 and the next table may then be pushed-along the" track until its forwarcl wheels ascend the rise,

thereby raising the lug 8 until its bearing surface 9 is slightly above the level of the bearing surface 7 of the lug 6 at the rear end of the preceding table. When the forward wheels of the secondtable descend the rise, the bearing surface 9 will come to rest on the bearing surface ,7 with the ends of the laying surfaces of the tables abutting and with each laying surface in the same horizontal plane. The forward wheels of the second table will then be slightly raised from the rails, as is shown in Figure 5, so that the second table is supported at its forward end solely by the first table.

Means must be provided in conjunction with the lugs 6 and 8 for rigidly coupling the tables together in abutting relationship. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, each table is provided at one end thereof with a pair of connecting pins 11 located at opposite sides of the table. Each connecting pin has'a hub 12 formed at one end thereof journaled upon a vertical pin 13 carried by the table. Each connecting pin has its other end portion screw-threaded and engaged by a nut 14. Each pin is adapted to be swung in a horizontal plane into a slot 15 formed in a lug 16 on the opposite end of another table. When a pin is swung into this position, its nut 14 may be tightened up to engage the rear face 17 of the lug 16. When the two' bolts carried by one end of a table are swung into slots in the lugs at the opposite end of another table and the nuts 14 tightened up, the two tables will be rigidly coupled together, as illustrated in Figure 3.

\Vhen a series of tables, such as is illustrated in Figure 1, are coupled together in the manner described, each table, with the exception of the first table of the series, will be supported at one end by two wheels and at the other end by the adjoining table. Thus relative vertical movement between two adjoining table ends will be prevented. A series of tables coupled together in this manner and propelled slowly on the track in the direction of the arrow at under the grinding and polishing machines may have the glass laid thereon at the laying station indicated in Figure 1 and the surfaced glass may be removed from the tables at the re moving station, also indicated in Figure 1. The glass can be laid on the tables and removed therefrom while they are in motion and it can be laid across the joints between the tables, if so desired, because of the fact that there is no relative vertical movement between adjoining table ends. Of course, it will be apparent that each individual table may be laid with glass before it is placed in line with the other tables and coupled there to, or each table may be laid with glass while it is on the track and before it has been coupled to the other tables. As the table at the front end of the connected series arrives at the removing station, the glass may be removed therefrom and the table uncoupled and carried back either on another track or by a crane to the rear end of the line of tables to be again placed on the track and coupled to the series of tables.

To facilitate the handling of the tables, in placing them on the track and removing them therefrom and transporting them from one point to another, each table may be provided with a number of lugs 18 projecting from the sides thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hoisting tackle of the crane. As already pointed out, a rise 10 may be provided on the rails for raising one end of each i table to facilitate coupling it to another table. At another point in the track the rails may each be provided with a corresponding depression 19. It will be obvious that when the rear wheels of a preceding table run into such depression 19, if the coupling pins 11 have been swung into the inoperative position shown in Figure 4, the lug 7 carried by the rear end of that table will be lowered, thereby permitting the forward wheels of the next table to come to bear upon the rails 3. The first table may then be removed from the track. Instead of having the rises 10 and depressions 19 in the rails, for raising and lowering the ends of the tables for coupling and uncoupling the tables, the tables may be coupled together by using a crane for raising one end of each table in order to permit its bearing surface 9 to be placed upon the bearing surface 7 of another table or in order to permit of the uncoupling of two connected tables. hen the front end of a table is raised for coupling it to or uncoupling it from another table, the flanges of its front wheels remain in engagement with the sides of the rails, thereby preventing lateral movement of the end of the table.

lVhile I have described an arrangement in which the forward end of each table is supported by the rear end of the preceding table of the series of connected tables, it will be apparent that the tables may be coupled and supported in the reverse sense, that is, the rear end of each table may be supported by the front end of the succeeding table of the series. It will also be apparent that instead of each table having one lug 6 at one end thereof and another lug 7 at the other end thereof, each table may be provided with a plurality of such lugs at each end thereof, preferably 2, one near each corner of the table.

The connected series of tables may be propelled along the track in any suitable manner. A form of driving mechanism which may be employed is illustrated in detail in Figures 6 and 7. This driving mechanism is adapted to be placed in a suitable pit 20 beneath the track and is adapted to engage each table as it passes over the pit and exert propulsion thereon. The driving mechanism comprises two parallel sprocket chains 21 running on pairs of sprockets 22, 23 and 24, one of said pairs of sprockets being adapted to be propelled in any suitable manner, as by a motor (not shown). The chains 21 carry driving rollers 25 between the same and each table is provided with a depending lug 26 adapted to be engaged by one of said driving rollers. The horizontal distance between the centers of the sprockets 22 and 23 is at least equal to the distance between the dependinglugs 26 of two successive tables when such tables are coupled together. The driving rollers 25 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the distance between two such lugs. As the chain links carrying a roller 25 pass around sprockets 22, the horizontal component of the linear velocity of the roller decreases, thus slowing down the velocity of theengaged lug 26 and of the row of tables and allowing the succeed ing roller 25 to catch up with the succeeding lug 26. This succeeding roller now takes up the work of pushing the row of tables and the roller ahead of it drops out of engagement with its lug. The incline in the chain between rollers 24: and 23 allows a roller 25 to rise up behind a lug 26 into the pushing position before the preceding roller leaves the preceding lug. It will be apparent that the driving mechanism is so constructed and operated as to engage and disengage each table with a total absence of shock.

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A table for supporting sheet material to be surfaced, having track-engaging wheels adjacent one end thereof, means at said end of the table providing a horizontally exten-ding upper bearing surface,'and means at the other end of the table providing a similar lower bearing surface, said upper bearing surface being adapted to rest upon the lower bearing surface of a table of like construction when said tables are in abutting relationship, whereby when a'series of such tables are coupled together on a track each is supported at one end by its track-engaging wheels and at its other end by the adjacent end of the next table of the series with the top surfaces of the tables at their abutting ends in the same horizontal plane, substantially as described.

2. A table for supportingsheet material to be surfaced, having track-engaging wheels acent one end thereof, means at said end of the table providing an upper bearing surface, means at the other end of the table providing a lower bearing surface, said bearing surfaces being parallel to the top of the table and at the same distance below the same, said upper bearing surface being adapted to rest upon the lower bearing surf-ace of a table of like construction when said tables are in abut ting relationship, and means at each end of said table whereby a series of such tables may be coupled together, substantially as described.

3. A table for supporting sheet material to be surfaced, having track-engaging wheels adjacent each end thereof, the construction being such that when all of said wheels are in engagement with a track one end of said tablev is at a slightly higher elevation than the other end thereof, and coupling means associated with theends of said tablev whereby the rear end of a table so constructed may be coupled to the forward end of another table of like construction in such manner as to bring said ends to the same level and the Wheels at one end of a table so coupled bein then raised out of engagement with the track, said coupling means including a bearing projection at each end of said table having a bearing surface substantially parallel to the surface of the table, substantially as described. 1 i

4. Apparatus for usein surfacing sheet glass, comprising a series of tables, each table being provided with track-engaging wheels adjacent each end thereof, the construction being such that when all of the wheels of a table are in engagement with the track one end of such table is at a slightly higher elevation than the other end thereof, and coupling means associated with the ends of each table whereby one end of each table may be coupled to the opposite end of another table in such manner as to bring said ends to the same level and the Wheels on one end of each table so coupled being then raised, except the first of the series, out of engagement with the track, the rails of the track having a rise therein at one point and a depression therein at another point to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the tables, substantially as described.

5. An individually movable self-supporting table for supporting material to be surfaced having an extension at each end thereof below the plane of its top adapted to interfit with and overlap a cooperating extension of another individually movable self-supporting table, readily detachable coupling means on each end of the table for cooperation with co-acting means of similartables to maintain the extensions of abut-ting'tables in interfitting relation at all times when interengaged therewith, whereby a plurality of such tables form a substantially continuous surface when connected, and means adapted to cooperate with all of the tables successively for effecting relative vertical movement thereof to disengage the same.

6. Means for supporting material to be polished comprising a plurality of tables having flat surfaces, each table having supporting means therefor, a track on which the tables are supported, a lug at one end of each table having a horizontally extending sup orting surface thereon, a horizontally exten inglug engaging surface at the other end of each table for cooperation with and overlapping the supporting surface of the next adjacent table, the supporting surface of the lug and the lug engaging surface of each table being substantially the same distance below the top of the table, and means for detachably connecting the tables to hold the lug and lug engaging surface of abutting tables in engagement, whereby the connected tables form a continuous rigid surface.

7. Apparatus for grinding or polishing fiat glass comprising a plurality of relatively movable associated tables, a projection on one of said tables, and a horizontally disposed engaging surface on an adjacent portion ofanother table, the riding support for said tables being arranged to bring said projection to rest upon said engaging surface, to maintain the surfaces of said tables in hori zontal alignment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FEEDER-1C MERIAN. 

